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 Posted: Sat Feb 24, 2007 2:22 pm
Fish put his hand down and awkwardly lifted the mug to his lips to take a sip from it. Swallowing, he explained, "The Game is what it is because some people... some players... they're special. They can do stuff. Anyone can play, but special players, the Gods of Old like them. They're the kids I mentioned, the ones who get the powers."
He took another bite of his cake, chewed, and swallowed.
"And you can usually tell. Special players are different somehow. Like... Your ears, or my hands. We're marked."
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Posted: Sat Feb 24, 2007 2:40 pm
"You've noticed?" Writ said, unsurprised.
He almost finished up his cocoa when he said, "So what's this errand the weird lady sent you to do?"
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Posted: Sat Feb 24, 2007 3:07 pm
"Tonight? I was supposed to be finding some plant for her."
He laughed stirred the contents of his mug.
"I found you instead. So, just go talk to her sometime."
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Posted: Sat Feb 24, 2007 3:53 pm
"A plant? That's silly, you can't find any kind of plant that's not in a shop."
Writ finished up his cocoa and put the mug in the sink,
"You work for her or something?"
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Posted: Sat Feb 24, 2007 4:33 pm
Fish shook his head. "I don't work for her, but she trades information for stuff. I need info, she needs plants, so I have to find them."
He'd seen plants that weren't in shops. Some suicidal weeds grew in the Harbor district.
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Posted: Sat Feb 24, 2007 6:33 pm
"Well, what are we waiting for then?" Writ said, with some enthusiasm, "Let's go find that plant!"
Writ wanted to help, it was Fish who helped him, he just wanted to return the favor. He would like to meet this Persy person under favorable terms, having a plant they were looking for might just work. Besides, it was closing time.
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Posted: Mon Feb 26, 2007 1:42 pm
Persy might not have been a goddess of mischief, but she knew how to get information without asking for it. The 'plant' that she'd sent Fish to find was not indigenous to the area: in fact, she knew for a fact that it wouldn't grow outside of her shop. What could she say? Lilies had attitudes, and if you didn't treat them like divas, then you wouldn't get results. However, the efforts of the Godling had not gone in vain: he'd found what she'd been really looking for.
Of course, Persy knew where Fish was at all times. She knew where almost all of the Godlings were, in fact. But it took a special sort of persuasion to get them to join the Game, and children seemed to be more condusive to listening to other children. It didn't make sense to Persy, but as long as it worked, she didn't care about the details. Either way, it made things easier for her.
Entering the store with a self-assured stride, the goddess in human form shook off the excess water from her flower-shaped umbrella and folded it away into the pocket of her apron, her attentions turning to the children only after she was done. "Slacking off again, Fish?" she jeered in an amused tone, a smile creeping across her face. What was the fun in following the kid if not to nag him for his shortcomings?
Sitting down beside the aquatic boy, she leaned against the counter, taking a good look at the other boy before eyeing one of the pastries in the showing case. "Hmm...Writ, get me one of the fruit things, and we'll chat for a while." Fumbling through her pocket yet again, she produced the bill she would need to pay for her order, and smiled as she held the money out to the boy. "Your name is Writ, right?"
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Posted: Mon Feb 26, 2007 6:17 pm
And then there was Deus ex Machina. Literately.
Darn, and Writ was just getting ready to go too, his apron was off and everything.
Forget that though, the customer was that weird lady, Fish called her Percy, if he remembered right. Did people that he wanted to talk to always show up on rainy nights like this? Maybe he should start working here later. As for her, she seemed to have more of a clue about what was going on then he did. It was unnerving for her to already know his name, but he refused to show that.
"Yeah, it is." Writ said coolly, taking the money and tonging a fruity thing, "And you're that weird lady that runs that shop, right?"
He dropped the pastry fruit-thing onto a plate and slid it to her across the counter.
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Posted: Mon Feb 26, 2007 7:45 pm
Fish stirred his hot chocolate frantically, trying to avoid Persy's eyes. "I promise I was looking for it! I looked right up until it started raining, and then after it did, but I couldn't find it!"
He paused, realizing Persy had called Writ by name.
"You know him?" he asked, astonished.
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Posted: Tue Feb 27, 2007 1:06 pm
Persy's nose wrinkled at the mention of being 'weird', but she did her best to smile, nonetheless. "Yes, I work at the shop...but no, Fish, this is my first meeting with the boy, though I do recall the two of you exchanging names earlier?" She paused for a moment to allow them to think whatever they would about her 'mystic powers': in all actuality, it had just been she'd overheard it on accident.
Pulling the pastry to her but otherwise ignoring it, Persy continued to mentally evaluate this new boy. He had potential...he definitely had potential. Although she couldn't recognize the mark of the god or goddess he bore (which meant they weren't a part of her extended family), there was no doubt that he was, indeed, a godling.
"So, Writ...you're interested in playing the game?" With a gentle voice she asked, her hand gently brushing against the flower behind her ear. "Because it's obvious you have the proper qualifications. Like Fish, you're one of the special people allowed to play."
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Posted: Tue Feb 27, 2007 4:21 pm
Well, Writ really didn't know what to say, but he did put a mental note to work the night shift more often. As for her knowing his name, maybe it was one of those powers Fish was talking about earlier, whatever the case, he found The Game! More, the game found him, but still....
He made a big smile, "Awwwwwesome...."
Well, if you couldn't tell, he nodded vigorously, and said happily, "Course I want to join!"
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Posted: Wed Feb 28, 2007 12:17 pm
"Yes, it's very awesome, but there are some rules you have to follow," Persy explained, putting her chin in her hand in idle thought. "Fish should be able to explain things forwards and backwards, but if you're ever confused, you just come to me. I can tell you anything you want to know." She smiled, rather sure of herself.
"However, I only give out one free question to each person, and from then on, information costs. So, because I wouldn't want you to waste your one question on the basics, Fish, tell him what he needs to know." She leaned back and relaxed: this conversation would indeed serve another purpose. Not only would she be sparing the boy his one question, she would get to see just exactly what Fish knew.
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Posted: Wed Feb 28, 2007 12:42 pm
Fish gave Persy a surprised look. That had certainly caught him off guard. Best to try to impress her, he figured.
"Well," he said, pressing his hands against the table, "Playing The Game mean's that you're helping someone out - a god - and they help you out, too. They give you tips and things, like which battles to fight, or who to get on your side. But no one's allowed to know about it. Especially the Blacksuits. They're these big guys in black suits and sunglasses, and if they see you, they'll try to catch you and eat your intestines or something. I dunno. Just don't let them get you."
He looked over at Persy, hoping he was doing well. "And you don't play in uppers or corridors, and you don't care about anyone's background, just how well they play."
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Posted: Wed Feb 28, 2007 1:10 pm
Writ seemed satisfied with Fish's explanation. Though the whole blacksuit thing concerned him, what did guys in suits want with his intestines? He'll figure that out later. What was this talk of gods though? Wit shrugged the thought off, he was clever enough to figure it out on his own.
"How do you win?" Writ asked, that being the only thing they left out.
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Posted: Wed Feb 28, 2007 1:18 pm
Persy opened her mouth to answer, but stopped herself just short of doing so. "Well...if Fish can't explain it, then you'd have to ask me for that kind of information." She looked over at Fish again: in all actuality, he was doing pretty good.
"So, Fish, do you know how to win?"
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